The present invention relates to a coupling assembly for securing a tube to a connector shaft of a device. In particular, the present invention relates to a coupling assembly for securing a catheter tube to a connector shaft of a device having a pump, a valve or a filter, that is implantable into a patient's body.
First identified in ancient Egyptian medical literature about 5000 years ago, hydrocephalus is a condition where normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) produced in the ventricles is interrupted, either by obstruction or a failure of the body to re-absorb the CSF, causing intracranial pressure to increase. By some estimates, hydrocephalus may be the most prevalent neurological condition known to medical science, but exact numbers are hard to come by since no one keeps data on adults with hydrocephalus. If left untreated, symptoms will usually get worse over time, which can lead to permanent brain damage and event death.
The most common treatment for hydrocephalus is to surgically implant a shunt to drain the excess fluid to another part of the body where it can be absorbed, as illustrated in FIG. 1. If the patient is deemed a candidate, an endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) can be performed, where a hole is made in the floor of the third ventricle to make a new path for the CSF to be absorbed by the body. Shunt surgery involves implanting a thin tube, called a shunt, in the brain. FIG. 1 shows a schematic 3D diagram of a patient with an implanted catheter tube 1. The catheter tube 1 is implanted such that one end of the tube 1 is located in the skull of the patient to receive excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain, and the opposite end of the tube is located in the patient's peritoneal cavity. The excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain runs through the tube 1 to the abdomen. From here, the fluid is absorbed e.g. into the blood stream. The shunt may have a valve inside it to control the flow of CSF and to ensure that it does not drain too quickly. Shunts can come in a variety of forms, but most of them consist of a valve housing connected to two catheters, namely a ventricular catheter and a distal catheter. One end of the ventricular catheter is placed in the brain and one end of the distal catheter is usually placed in the peritoneal cavity.
One of the most common causes of shunt failure is disconnection or fracture of the shunt. Disconnection may occur at any site of connection along the course of the tubing. This is usually related to improper technique, such as too lose or too tight ligature which leads to damage of the tube. Moreover, the suture ligature may puncture the skin of premature babies.